Jackie Victor's Keynote at the Great Lakes Bioneers Conference 2012

In Jackie Victor's keynote at the Great Lakes Bioneers Conference in October, 2012, in Traverse City, MI, she addresses the challenges of growing a small business in Detroit. She draws parallels between our two local communities and how importance a strong, viable connected community is in growing a resilient economy. Jackie Victor has been an advocate for social change her whole adult life, beginning with her participation in the Michigan Peace March when she was 19. She went on to direct Sane/Freeze which became Peace Action. Since then, Jackie's work and efforts have focused on the revitalization of Detroit, where she co-founded Avalon International Breads, a socially responsible bakery in 1997 in the Cass Corridor. She spent time at Pleasanton Bakery with our own Gerard Grabowski and Jan Shireman. Jackie is deeply involved in the economic, cultural and spiritual revival of Detroit, where she raises her children and is on the boards of Greening of Detroit, the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue and SheTroit. She is a close friend and collaborator with the longtime activist, Grace Boggs.